Ethan Ives-Griffiths grandparents jailed for life after murder of two-year-old
A couple was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of two -year -old grandchildren after a hearing that was subjected to terrible abuse for weeks.
48-year-old Michael Ives and his 46-year-old wife Kerry, who started walking Ethan Ives-Griffiths, was constantly subjected to physical and emotional persecution at their homes in Flintshire in North Wales.
When Ethan collapsed with a disaster head trauma in August 2021, he was found dangerously dehydrated and seriously weak carrying visible marks and bruises.
The couple had rejected the murder, but the Mold Crown Court heard the compelling evidence of the deep neglect and violence given to the child before his conviction.
Michael and Kerry Ives from Garden City Kingsley Road told the child who started walking before fainting while watching television.
A jury condemned them to a child under 16 years of age and murder and persecution.
Mr. Justice Griffiths, who implemented life penalties, said that he would be sentenced to at least 23 years in prison before applying for a conditional evacuation to Michael Ives, and his wife had been imprisoned for at least 17 years.
“Ethan Ives-Griffiths two-year-old with an independent spirit. His mother and grandfather hit him, but he challenged and even laughed when he did.”
“Although he was just a child who began to walk, he was a brave and flexible child with a strong character.
“Already an adult had qualities for the greatness, but the people who hit him did not like the little boy standing for him. They decided to break him.”
Shannon Ives, the mother of 28-year-old Ethan from Rhes-Y-Cae, who stayed with his son in his son’s house, was found guilty of causing or allowing child cruelty.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The judge said Shannon Ives knew that his family was severe because he suffered as he was growing up.
“Shannon knew that Ethan was not safe with his family. He gave evidence that both of them had hit Ethan,” he said.
“He didn’t say social services, he covered up what was done. He became a criminal partner.
“He knew that Ethan was weakened, that he was rotten all over his body, and the last injuries on his face.
“He knew that he was painful, fine, fed and dehydrated.
“He knew that Michael was violent and systematically cruel and physically abusive to Ethan.
“He knew that Ethan would no longer walk or talk while walking and talking.
“He didn’t cause his death, but he was active to allow it.”
In his personal expression, Ethan’s father William Griffiths said he would never deal with his son.
“I feel angry with the grandmother and grandfather, who was taken from me and then exposed him to cruel behavior, denying him food or fundamental comfort, regularly bad and bad against him and disciplined for any reason,” he said.
“He must have felt very sad and lonely, and I am upset that this is the last few weeks in the world.
“No child should be subjected to this behavior by people who should love and care about him.”
Mr. Griffiths said he had caused great damage to the family’s family, but hoped to find some comfort in the decision.
“Nobody should be put on this issue, the worst nightmare of any family to lose a child and especially to take it from you under such tragic conditions.
“Ethan has been a great loss to our lives and leaves a gap that can never be changed for everyone who met and loves him.”
During the hearing, the jury members showed visible upset at the points where CCTV was played from the family house, which showed that Michael Ives carried him on top of his grandson and punched him after putting him in a car seat.
The court heard that Ethan was placed in a child protection record that required to be seen every 10 days, but when his mother saw the last social worker, he spoke to the door on August 5 and said Ethan had cut it.
Social worker Michael Cornish went to visit the days before Ethan’s death and when a appointment with a health visitor on August 13 was canceled, no one answered the door.
The jury was told that Shannon Ives had escaped from his home in Mold in June that year from his home in Mold.
His family accused him of hitting his son, Michael Ives told the jury that his daughter was “fast -tempered ve and would slap Ethan several times a day.
However, Shannon Ives told the court that his family was “terrible ve and abused him as a child.
The court heard that Ethan was made to stand in his mind as a punishment when he was wrong.
When Ethan was examined by doctors after his death, he found that he had abdominal injuries caused by the coups in the days before the collapse.
Other injuries contained the scars of grip on his leg and face, consistent with caries.
Experts, Ethan’ın head trauma had not undergone the dehydration within days and during the death of only 10 kg, he said.
The jury heard medical evidence that Ethan’s deadly head injury was due to deliberate power or tremor, and when it occurred at that time or in the previous minutes, the evening of August 14 collapsed.
Ethan was taken to Chester Hospital Countess and then transferred to the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where he died two days later.
